Pogacar win "would be a miracle, but anything is possible" - Johan Bruyneel on Pogacar, van der Poel, van Aert and Ganna's chances in Roubaix
Cycling
Paris-Roubaix is one of the most highly anticipated races of the year and throughout the entire week little else has been on the mind of fans and riders alike. With a vast array of contenders for the victory in northern France, Johan Bruyneel has shared his opinion on a few.
On Mathieu van der Poel, he believes his chances are higher than last week's in Flanders due to the lack of climbing. "I thought he would at least be able to stay with Pogacar. But that was not the case, so I was wrong. But I don't think I will be wrong this week," Bruyneel said in the Outcomes podcast. "I think his pride was hurt after Pogacar dropped him".
Van der Poel is an absolute specialist in this race and has a great track record with two wins in the past two years, whilst teammate Jasper Philipsen was second in both. "He has a strong team, knows the race, and has won it twice. And when it comes to technique on the cobblestones, he is the best in the world."
On Visma's side, he is quite positive that Wout van Aert can also leave a good mark in the Hell of the North. "Wout will be stronger on Sunday than last Sunday. I think he is just reaching his peak and has gained a lot of self-confidence".
On the heavyweight Filippo Ganna, eighth in Flanders and third in a mythical Sanremo: "He is in great shape, and let's not forget: he is extremely fast. He also has the most experience on the track of all of them. He will not be watched as closely as van der Poel and van Aert. Last week, he was already on the breakaway before the top riders started, so why not?"
However behind all the favourites will remain the doubt of the unexpected, which can happen at any time during the race. "Of course, there is another element in Paris-Roubaix. No one can predict it, and no one can plan for it. There will be people with bad luck, crashes, flat tires, and material problems."
And of course, the World Champion must be mentioned: "We can no longer ignore Pogacar. He can do anything. It would be a miracle, but anything is possible in his first participation. He did ride Paris-Roubaix as a junior, but you can't compare the two."
The Slovenian is obviously a victory contender, but only during the race will it be possible to see how much of an impact his attacks will have without the presence of climbs in the race. "He can win. When you see how he flies over the cobblestones... He is a bit of an underdog. If he wins, great. But if he doesn't win, who cares? That's an advantage. There are only a few guys he has to watch out for. They are Van der Poel, Van Aert, Pedersen and Ganna."
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
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